
FRESH STUFF DAILY
Seacoast New Hampshire
& South Coast Maine
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
|
|
| |
|
|
|
fd2
detox from vicodin buy viagra canada propecia sales viagra from canada Viagra Canada Pharmacy buy propecia canadian cialis cialis cheap prescription free viagra Lexapro no prescription viagra in canada cialis 5 mg cialis canada levitra online pharmac y support group viagra cheap prescription free viagra buy viagra viagra without prescription cialis online get viagra viagra online pharmacy canada propecia with out a prescription online viagra viagra on canadian oharmacy viagraonline buy 5mg propecia usa viagra from canadian viagara online canada buy propecia online pharmacy to buy phentermine 25mg
0
|
Ice Storm Photos Frozen in Time
|
|
|
|
Written by J. Dennis Robinson
|
|
Page 1 of 3  HISTORY MATTERS
Technology changes, but Nature stays the same -- human nature too. In December 2008 an icy nor’eastern left tens of thousands without electrical power, some for more than a week. How our Victorian ancestors reacted to a similar storm in 1866 is visible in photos and newspaper accounts.
Through a winter window
See pix & read accounts from 1886
The pictures look hauntingly familiar. Down both sides of the street the magnificent tree limbs, weighed down by snow and ice, bow to the ground in unison as if to welcome a passing monarch. Crystals shimmer like jewels in the morning light. Curious Portsmouth residents examine the fallen branches, snapped like twigs by tons of frozen water. Severed telephone and telegraph wires twist in the winter breeze.
Wait a minute. Telegraph wires?
We are looking, not at the devastating ice storm of December 2008 from which Seacoast residents are still recovering, but at very similar photographs of "The Great Ice Storm" of January 29, 1886. Within days of the disaster, photographers Lewis and Charles Davis were advertising souvenir pictures, mounted on heavy cardboard and suitable for framing at just 35 cents apiece. Hi-tech "stereoscope slides", shot with a specialized camera, made it possible to remember the ice storm in 3-D.
Painting word pictures
Meanwhile, three local newspapers offered colorful accounts of the event. Never in living memory, according to the Portsmouth Chronicle, had the trees been so coated with ice "from the ground to the tips of the smallest twigs" and hung with millions of tiny icicles as thick as pipe stems. Walking was almost impossible, according to the reporter, because both streets and sidewalks were "as slippery as greased glass". For three full days the sound of branches crashing to the ground was heard in every corner of the city. One man, according to the Portsmouth Journal, experimented with a chunk of ice that weighed 40 ounces. When he melted away the water, the twig at the center weighed only a single ounce.
The Portsmouth Daily, however, took time to ponder the "destructive beauty" of the storm. The "arctic artist commands our admiration," one journalist noted:
"The glittering trees reflecting the gas lights, presented the effect of bowers of diamonds, rivaling …the most startling productions of Alladin's lamp. Every object was brilliant with reflected light … from the street lanterns hung pendants of silver, and ordinary fences were radiant with nature's silver varnish."
CONINUE WITH ICE STORM
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 Next > End >> |
Please visit these SeacoastNH.com ad partners.
Portsmouth Herald
|
Portsmouth Herald Latest Headlines
|
| Portsmouth Herald News from SeacoastOnline.com |
-
UNH hockey powers past Terriers
DURHAM — The play of the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team special teams looked, well, special, Friday night against Boston University.
-
NFL's premier corner Revis mans up on Moss again
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Darrelle Revis has heard enough about his last matchup with Randy Moss. The New York Jets cornerback just wants to move on to the next one.
-
Father-son coaches creating legacy with Winnacunnet football
HAMPTON — If nothing else, Winnacunnet High School has proven that two Steve Magris are better than one when it comes to coaching football.
-
Bergeron wins it for B's in OT
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Patrice Bergeron scored with 47 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.
-
Emotional home finale for UNH football
DURHAM — One year ago this week, University of New Hampshire strong safety Terrence Klein intercepted two late passes to preserve a snowy 28-24 win at Maine, more proof that...
-
Carter, Magic drop Celtics
BOSTON — Vince Carter scored 26 points, Rashard Lewis had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics 83-78 on Friday night.
-
Portsmouth says stimulus jobs overstated by White House
PORTSMOUTH — While federal stimulus dollars flowing into the city may help both causes and the economy, at least one local project echoes concerns expressed nationwide about the accuracy of...
-
Joseph Popluhar
TAMPA, Fla. — Mr. Joseph Popluhar, 71, of Tampa, formerly of Portsmouth, N.H., beloved husband of Marjorie (Hunt) Popluhar, died Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009, in Florida.
-
Turkey Trot 5K in Portsmouth on Thanksgiving morning
PORTSMOUTH — Thanksgiving is one of the most charitable times of the year. If you're in the giving mood, why not get a little exercise, too?
-
Marshwood Middle School parents told 58 of 60 kids accepted unknown Facebook friend
ELIOT, Maine — Marshwood Middle School parents were shocked to learn from Internet expert Jayne Hitchcock Thursday evening that 58 of 60 middle school honors students accepted her as a...
-
Newington tax rate drops, but selectman chides state lawmakers
NEWINGTON — Town taxpayers will pay a lower tax rate for 2009, but the chairman of the Board of Selectmen announced the good news with some concerns for state politicians.
-
Memorial Bridge re-opens
PORTSMOUTH — The Memorial Bridge reopened ahead of schedule on Friday following a month of repairs that forced motorists to seek alternative routes between the city and Kittery, Maine.
-
Bakers bustling for Sunday's pie festival
GREENLAND — Judy Alix laughed excitedly. "Thirty made, only 470 more to go!" she exclaimed.
-
3-car crash on Woodbury Ave.
PORTSMOUTH — A three-car, chain-reaction crash snarled lunch hour traffic Friday on Woodbury Avenue and sent a Maine man to Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
-
Thumbs up to preservation, determination
Thumbs up to the heirs of Mary McIntire Davis for selling a 239-acre parcel of salt marsh and forest along the York River to the York Land Trust ,and to...
-
John R. Genthner
HAMPTON FALLS — John Richard Genthner, born Jan. 28, 1943, in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, died peacefully Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, after a long illness. He was surrounded by...
-
Runner's Alley helps racer achieve her goals
I would like to thank Janine and the staff at Runner's Alley for their great work in this community. Their contribution, enthusiasm and encouragement are a shining example of what...
-
New Generation raises $10,000 with golf tourney
The New Generation Golf tournament was held at Breakfast Hill Golf Club. With the help of all those who supported it, we made more than $10,000.
-
Memorial is a N.H. bridge; Herald must act to save it
Sitting a couple of hundred miles up the Maine coast, there isn't anyone who knows or cares about our bridge. They've got their own big-time problems that aren't getting fixed.
-
Robert F. Pucciarelli
WELLS, Maine — Robert Francis "Bob" Pucciarelli, 83, of Wells, formerly of Medway, Mass., died early Thursday morning, Nov. 19, 2009.
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, November 21, 2009 |
|
|
|